Jonathan and Kath's Drabble Advent Calendar

[Sam]

Kath - if there's one thing I miss about this time of year, it's watching the girls in their Nativity concerts: Katie trying to narrate with tonsillitis; Sam constantly pushing her hastily-constructed halo above her ears (we thought until the last moment she was going to be a sheep!) That brought it all rushing back...

[Kath]

I know Sam. Every year the same story but every group of children makes it different!

[Tweedledum]

Just discovered the advent calendar.....thanks Jonathan for posting me. Loving the stories so far and looking forward to day 7.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the recent comments, folks. Much appreciated. So pleased to hear you're enjoying the festive drabbles. :)

[Kath]

And in addition to another Jonathan story, behind door number seven is a possible prize!

In addition to today’s drabble, there is a £5 Amazon voucher up for grabs! To be in with a chance of winning, simply email your name and the word ‘SANTA’ to drabbleduo@yahoo.co.uk by 10pm tonight. A winner will be chosen at random and announced tomorrow. Email addresses will be deleted after the winner has been contacted. Good luck!

Late for the Service

Robert tore off the shiny paper as fast as he could. The living room carpet was no longer visible; wrapping, ribbons and opened gifts everywhere. Robert at that moment was the proverbial kid in a sweet shop. “Oh gee, a Playstation! Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad.” Robert wasted no time plugging in his new console and soon he was pummelling the controller, causing onscreen villains to drop dead. His parents left him to it.

A couple of hours later, Robert’s mum burst in. “Robert, what are you doing here still?!” She tossed his dog collar to him. “They’ll all be waiting!”

[Jonathan]

*Please note the voucher is for the UK Amazon store only. International entrants will be eligible for future prizes.

[B J]

What!? You're handing out money as well as entertainment!? You two are overflowing with Christmas spirit.
Nice one, Jonathan. I have no trouble believing that scenario. These days vicars, like policemen, all look like schoolboys to me.

[David]

Ignite wrote: "Late for the Service"

Excellent.

There is often (still) the assumption that computer gamers are kids when those who played the first computer games like Pong, Breakout et al are well on the way to being grandparents now.

[Shondreka]

Awwww! Nice stories!!

[Patti (baconater)]

Ya know, I'd never heard them referred to as dog collars before spending time with Brits?

I wonder if it's just not a term used in my bit of Canada or if I lived a sheltered life.

Another great wee Drabble, Jonathan!

[Kath]

Still time to enter - until 10:00 p.m. when my random number program will pick out the winner. :)

[Jonathan]

Thanks, BJ, David, Shondreka and Patti.

Get entering. This £5 voucher must be won!

[Philip (sarah)]

Thanks for another 2 great stories, think I should be paying you both for the enjoyment they give me;@)

[Jonathan]

You're welcome, Sarah. It's our pleasure.

[Kath]

Ah Sarah! What a lovely thing to say! :)

[Tweedledum]

Great little story today.

[Jonathan]

Thanks, Tweedledum. :)

[Kath]

Congratulations to GR's own Claire who won the £5 voucher! Thanks to all who entered and watch out for further prizes.

Door number 8 reveals another story from Kath.

The Optimist

Emma was an incurable optimist. Eventually her friends found it irritating that she was so happy and upbeat all the time. At Christmas, they decided to put her optimism to the test. They gave each other wonderful gifts; one got a fabulous watch, another a computer game, the third some earrings she’d been drooling over all year. They arranged for a huge pile of manure to be dropped outside Emma’s house.

When they went to see her on Christmas morning she was dancing up and down on it with glee, shouting, “There’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

[Tweedledum]

Chuckle. And there I was thinking she was going to be spreading it enthusiastically on her organic vege plot.

[Kath]

I expect she did that later, Tweedledum! :)

[Patti (baconater)]

Love it!

And I'm sure stinky foot Emz is gonna love it too!

[B J]

That's lovely! A perfect definition of optimism! And Claire deserves to win everything in sight.

[Patti (baconater)]

Oh yeah!

Congrats Claire!

It'll be a nice surprise to wake up to after saving a life, n all.

[David]

Love that chuckle of a drabble :D

[Kay (Golden Girl)]

Congrats. Claire,a worthy winnerx

[✿Claire✿]

Wow!! Thank you :D That was a very nice surprise to wake up to!! I really love the drabbles, they're so clever :)

[Kath]

We're glad people are enjoying them. It's a bit of pre-Christmas sharing - and I'm so glad you're pleased with the voucher Claire. It's small but beautifully proportioned! :)

[David]

Great one!

[Philip (sarah)]

Terrific wee story!
Congratulations Claire!

[Jonathan]

Congrats, Claire!

[Kath]

Jonathan gives us our Day 9 story.

In a Scrape

It’s a time of year I detest! Those frosty winter mornings when all vehicles parked outdoors have a layer of seemingly impenetrable ice covering their windows. It’s too much hassle messing with de-icer and waiting an eternity. I usually set off with the windows only partially cleared. I’ve not had any problems so far, touch wood!

Today is no different. Vision is poor but there’s a nice patch of window clearing. I can look through that if I crane my neck just a little. Satisfied, I push the button and start speaking. “Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking....”

[Jud]

Oh! I get to open today's window!

These drabbles are starting to get quite clever.

[Kath]

Starting to? Haha! ;)

[Jud]

Well I mean rather than being funny or sentimental you are putting a wee twist at the end, I had to think for a minute about the dog collar one. I was thinking 'but a dog couldn't play the playstation'.

The first few weren't so twisty

[Kath]

Thanks Jud. We've tried to vary them, vary the pace and genre, so it doesn't seem the same every day.
Jonathan is renowned for being twisted.
Did I say that out loud?

[B J]

I'm enjoying this dribble of drabbles. With the book I just devoured the whole lot in one sitting, but here my pleasure is being rationed out. I'm sure it's much better for me.

[Kath]

Saves you being sick so often eh Barry? :)

[B J]

Well, it is very similar to the situation of having either a box of chocolates on 1st December or a chocolate-filled advent calendar. Having very little by way of self-control, the calendar format spreads the pleasure for me. Despite the daily rib tickling, I'm avoiding any symptoms of sickness!

[Patti (baconater)]

OIY!
A little less of that, please!
I'm flying on Saturday!

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Patti (baconater) wrote: "OIY!
A little less of that, please!
I'm flying on Saturday!"

You'll need these.

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__c...

[David]

In a Scrape

Like it.

Lots.

[Jonathan]

:) Thanks, David.

I'm sure you won't have a pilot like that, Patti. Probably.

So I'm twisted, am I, Kath?! Right... ;)

[Kath]

Thanks folks! This has been great fun to do, :)

[✿Claire✿]

It's no wonder I'm not a fan of take off or landing really, is it? :)

[David]

It's not flying that is the problem.

It is suddenly not flying.

[Kath]

It's like falling. It's the last inch that kills you. We're not putting you off are we, Patti?

[✿Claire✿]

I'm fine when we're actually in the air, it's just the going up and coming down again!

[David]

Maybe the answer is to move the sky nearer to the ground.

[✿Claire✿]

We had a flight once where we think the copilot used to be a fighter pilot, did lose altitude quite rapidly at one point!

Just don't do what I did and watch Day After Tomorrow the night before you fly ;)

[Patti (baconater)]

I quite like flying, actually. All of it.

Good thing as I do enough of it.